Why the Highway Patrol urges you to clear the snow off your car

North Carolina Highway Patrol and state emergency management are asking people to make sure they clear the top of their cars.

Some folks out and about Friday had several inches of snow on top of their cars. Others were working hard to get the stuff off.

"Well, the top mainly because if you're in traffic and it blows off, and hits somebody else in the windshield, it's not very nice," said Hillsborough resident Lea Jones.

Others were thankful for people like Jones.

"I know like, when I'm driving behind cars and stuff, it's just flying off at me, I'm kind of nervous something is going to crack my windshield, like ice," said Christian Wright, also from Hillsborough.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, there is no state law that addresses snow and ice falling off of cars.

When this happens, it's treated as a "roadway hazard."

It's why the Highway Patrol "strongly urges" folks to clear off their entire car before hit the streets.

"I'm not really fond of that," Wright said. "The fact that like, I can do everything I want to in my power to avoid it happening to someone else, but if it just happens to me, I'm kind of like out of luck."